Fireplace starter



April 14, 1970 D, HEN 3,506,197

FIREPLACE STARTER Filed Nov 29, 1967 INVEN TOR BERNARD D. H ENSLEY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,506,197 FIREPLACE STARTER Bernard D. Hensley, 419 E. Oaks St., Skiatook, Okla. 74070 Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 686,480 Int. Cl. F23d 15/00 US. Cl. 239280 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE cludes an internal horizontal gas passageway in the upper;

portion thereof and a vertical gas inlet opening communicating the horizontal passageway with the exterior member at the bottom whereby gas may be injected into the member. A multiplicity of gas outlet openings communicate with the passageway and open to the front of the member whereby gas is discharged. In the preferred embodiment, the front includes an upper full width ledge forming portion and a lower portion which is inclined towards the upper back of the member and in this preferred arrangement the gas discharge openings communicate with the upper end of the inclined front portion so that gas is discharged beneath the ledge and downwardly.

SUMMARY Many homes today have fireplaces into which a gas supply is piped as a means of starting log fires, Typically, a short length of perforated pipe is attached to the gas outlet and is positioned horizontally within the fireplace, usually below a grate on which the wood is placed. This arrangement is satisfactory except that the pipe lasts for only a relatively short time. There are two basic reasons a metallic fireplace gas distribution device has a short life. First, the heat of the fire causes rapid oxidation of a metallic device so that it is soon destroyed. In addition, the burning of wood produces ashes which fall down and around the gas distribution element. When a fire is first started under green wood, sap is exuded from the heated wood which runs downwardly and mixes with the ashes, forming a strong lye base solution which, when it encounters any metallic device attacks it severely; Thus, the combination of heat and lye solution soon results in the metallic gas distributor devices being destroyed.

This invention provides a fireplace starter and burner for starting wood in a fireplace which last indefinitely. The invention includes an elongated unitary member of nonmetallic and noncombustible material, such as ceramic material and fired clay. The invention is characterized by an arrangement wherein gas is discharged in a pattern to most effectively ignite wood placed above the burner and in an arrangement wherein the chances of the burner openings being stopped up by ashes is greatly minimized.

DESCRIPTION OF VIEWS FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a fireplace starter and burner for starting Wood in a fireplace according to this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The invention consists of an elongated unitary member of noncombustible and nonmetallic material. The member includes a bottom surface on which it rests in a fireplace, a top 14, ends 16, a back side 18, and a front side generally indicated by the numeral 20.

The member has a horizontal gas passageway 22 in the upper portions thereof intermediate the back side 18 and the front side 20, the gas passageway 22 being spaced from and parallel to the top surface 14. Gas passageway 22 extends from adjacent each of the ends 16,

A vertical gas inlet opening 24 is provided communieating, at the upper end, with the horizontal gas passageway 22, and at the lower end, with bottom 12. The vertical gas inlet opening 24 is adapted to receive a short length of pipe 26 extending from fireplace floor 28 by which gas is injected into member 10.

Communicaitng between the horizontal gas passageway 22 and the front 20 of the member are a multiplicity of spaced apart discharge openings 30. Each of the discharge openings 30 are preferably inclined so that gas is downwardly discharged therefrom.

The front side 20 of the member (best shown in FIG- U;RE 2) is formed of portions, that is, a full width upper portion 20A and a lower portion 20B which is inclined from the bottom 12 towards the upper portion of back side 18. Thus the forward upper portion 20A forms a ledge with the discharge openings 30 communicating with the upper portion of the inclined front surface 20B. In this way the gas discharge openings communicate wtih the front 20 beneath the ledge formed by the upper front portion 20A. This arrangement provides two basic advantages. First, the downward inclination of discharge openings 30 reduce the possibility of the openings being filled with ashes. In addition, any ashes which enter the openings 30 are more easily blown out by the discharge of gas. Second, the discharge openings 30 are shielded from the fall of ashes by the ledge formed by the upper full width portion 20A of the front side. By the combination of the downwardly inclined passageways 30 and the protection of the ledge formed by the full width upper portion 20A the chance of the discharge openings being clogged with ashes is substantally eliminated.

The invention is preferably made of fire brick of a size proportional to the size fireplace in which it is used. Typically, the member may be approximately 2 /2 inches Wide by 4% inches high with a length of from 9 to 12 inches. The discharge openings 30 may be approximately inch diameter with the horizontal gas passageway 22 of approximately /2 inch diameter. The vertical gas inlet opening 24 may be of approximately inch diameter to receive a /2 inch pipe 26. These dimensions are merely for purposes of exemplification of operating embodiments of the invention.

As previously described, the horizontal gas passageway 20 preferably extend from adjacent each end 16. As a practical means of manufacture the passageway 22. will normally communicate with at least one of the ends 16 with the communicating end being preferably closed by a nonmetallic and noncombustible material such as a piece of fire brick or fire resistant masonry. In some fire places it may be desirable that the gas be introduced into the member 10 through a side opening rather than the bottom opening as illustrated and in such event the open end of the gas passageway 22 may be utilized as a gas entrance and when so utilized the vertical gas inlet opening 24 will be closed such as with the fire resistant masonry.

This invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited by the abstract or the summary 3 4 herein nor to the embodiments illustrated which are for horizontal gas passageway and at the outer end with purposes of exemplification of the invention. said side tapered portion directly below the inter- What is claimed is: section of said side tapered portion and said tapered 1. A fireplace starter and burner for starting wood lower surface of said overhanging ledge, said gas discharge openings being inclined relative to the in a fireplace having a gas outlet therein comprising:

horizontal whereby gas flowing through said openan elongated unitary member of noncombustible nonmetallic material having a bottom on which the ings is discharged downwardly, said gas discharge member rests in a fireplace, having ends, a front openings being concealed b said overhanging ledge side, a back side, and a top, the rnember having a from the top and side of said member.

horizontal gas passageway in the upper portion thereof parallel to and spaced from the sides References Cited and top and extending from adjacent one of UNITED STATES PATENTS said ends to adjacent the opposite of said end,

having a vertical gas inlet passagewa h i 2,207,474 7/ 19 40 er 110-22 communicating at the upper e d thgreof i h 2,319,721 5/ 1943 Coker 239280 said horizontal gas passageway and at the lower FOREIGN PATENTS end thereof with said bottom, one side thereof being 48 12/1937 France divided into an upper full width portion and a lower i 1/1925 Great firitain portion, said lower portion being tapered inwardly towards the upper opposite side, the intersection of 20 M HENSON WOOD Primary Examiner said tapered portion with said upper full width portion providing an overhanging ledge, the lower sur- MAR, Asslstant Examlner face of said overhanging ledge being tapered upwardly towards the opposite side, having a multiplicity of spaced apart gas discharge openings therein 110 22; 239 55() 566; 431 communicating at the inner end thereof with said 

